Undergraduate Transfer Students

Students with less than 60 transferable credits

Transfer students with less than 60 transferable credits have the same admissions criteria as non-transfer students (or FTIC students). Transfer students with less than 60 transferable credits will need to complete all program, state, and FIU requirements that were not previously completed or transferred over at FIU.

After being admitted into FIU, transfer students with less than 60 transferable credits must satisfy all of the below prerequisites if not previously completed or if not transferred over. Transfer students with less than 60 transferable credits are advised to work with an academic advisor at their transfer institution and at FIU to determine if any of the below requirements were previously met.

Transfer Students with an Associate of Arts Degree from a Florida Public Institution

Transfer students with an Associate of Arts degree from a Florida public institution will automatically satisfy the following requirements:

Lower Division University Core Curriculum (UCC)

Summer Enrollment requirement

After being admitted into FIU, transfer students with an Associate of Arts degree from a Florida public institution must satisfy all of the below prerequisites if not previously completed or if not transferred over. Transfer students with an Associate of Arts degree from a Florida public institution are advised to work with an academic advisor at their transfer institution and at FIU to determine if any of the below requirements were previously met.

Transfer Students with a Bachelor’s Degree from a Regionally Accredited U.S. Institution

Transfer students with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution will automatically satisfy the following requirements:

Lower Division University Core Curriculum (UCC)

Global Learning courses

Foreign Language Competency or FLENT/FLEX

Summer Enrollment requirement

After being admitted into FIU, transfer students with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution must satisfy all of the below prerequisites if not previously completed or if not transferred over. Transfer students with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are advised to work with an academic advisor at their transfer institution and at FIU to determine if any of the below requirements were previously met.

Lower division and upper division courses required for selected major

Transfer Students with an Associate of Arts Degree from a Non-Florida (Out-of-State) or Private (Florida or Non-Florida) Institution

Transfer students with an Associate of Arts degree from a non-Florida institution (a U.S. institution outside of Florida) or a private institution (a private U.S. institution either within or outside of Florida) have to be evaluated on a case by case basis by having an FIU advisor review the students’ transcripts to evaluate which requirements and courses will transfer over to FIU.

After being admitted into FIU, transfer students with an Associate of Arts degree from a non-Florida or private institution must satisfy all of the below prerequisites if not previously completed or if not transferred over. Transfer students with an Associate of Arts degree from a non-Florida or private institution are advised to work with an academic advisor at their transfer institution and at FIU to determine if any of the below requirements were previously met.

International Transfer Students from a Non-U.S. Institution

International transfer students who completed post-secondary credits at a non-U.S institution have to be evaluated on a case by case basis by having an FIU advisor review the students’ transcripts to evaluate which requirements and courses will transfer over to FIU.

After being admitted into FIU, international transfer students who completed post-secondary credits at a non-U.S. institution must satisfy all of the below prerequisites if not previously completed or if not transferred over. It is advised to international transfer students who completed post-secondary credits at a non-U.S. institution to work with an academic advisor at their transfer institution and at FIU to determine if any of the below requirements were previously met.

Lower division and upper division courses required for selected major

Lower Division University Core Curriculum (UCC)

Global Learning courses

Foreign Language Competency or FLENT/FLEX

Summer Enrollment requirement

International transfer students must also meet additional admission requirements required for international students, including:

SAT or ACT (for students with less than 60 transferable college credits)

TOEFL

International high school / secondary school transcripts

Official translation of transcripts is needed for transcripts in a language other than English

International university-level transcripts

Requires a course-by-course evaluation

Please note, international transfer students applying to an online program at FIU will not require a student visa, and, hence, will not need to submit a declaration and certification of finances. Since the online programs at FIU are entirely online, students will not need to travel to the U.S. to complete the degree.

Step-by-Step Guide to a Seamless Transition for Transfer Students

Below are recommended steps for transfer students at various levels of credit completion at their transfer institution. Transfer students are able to apply to transfer to FIU at any moment regardless of the number of credits the student has previously completed.

Transfer Students with 0 to 15 Completed Credits

Meet with an advisor at transfer institution to choose courses and stay on track.

Use degree audit to monitor progress. It is recommended to students who wish to graduate as quickly as possible to take at least 12 credits per semester.

Gather information about FIU majors, prerequisite courses, and GPA requirements for major of choice.

Develop a preliminary term-by-term academic plan based on area of interest.

Transfer Students with 15 to 30 Completed Credits

Choose a major that combines each student’s interest, skills, and abilities.

Revisit academic plan to include any prerequisite courses for the chosen major.

Meet with an advisor to review academic plan.

Transfer Students with 30 to 45 Completed Credits

Meet with an advisor to discuss the student’s progress, as needed.

Stay on track by completing prerequisites and meeting GPA requirements.

Transfer Students with 45 to 60 Completed Credits

Meet with an advisor for any final questions, and to apply for graduation.

Submit to FIU the following items at the start of the final semester at the transfer institution:

Description of State and FIU Requirements to be completed by Each Student Prior to Graduation

State and University Requirement – Lower Division University Core Curriculum (UCC)

Any student transferring to Florida International University without an AA degree from a Florida public institution or without a previous Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution is required to fulfill the UCC requirements.

The UCC is a broad, well-defined curriculum designed to help students think critically, analytically, and creatively. It consists of 36 credit hours, all of which have the possibility of being fulfilled through transfer credits. Hence, it is vital for students to:

Become familiar with the UCC sections and their requirements.

Review the Panther Degree Audit (PDA) to determine if any of the UCC requirements are satisfied.

If necessary, meet with an advisor to discuss options for completing the requirements.

Transfer students with a previous Associate of Arts degree from a Florida public institution or a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution will be able to waive this requirement.

University Requirements – Global Learning

Global Learning courses are part of FIU’s Global Learning for Global Citizenship, which is an initiative enabling students to act as engaged global citizens. All transfer students are required to complete 2 Global Learning courses at FIU. Transfer students with a previous bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution will be able to waive this requirement. For the most updated information on Global Learning courses, please go here.

State Requirements - Foreign Language Competency or FLENT/FLEX

The Foreign Language Competency or FLENT/FLEX requirement is a foreign language requirement requiring students to complete any of the following options at FIU:

2 introductory level foreign language courses (levels 1 and 2)

1 intermediate or advanced level course

CLEP (only for Spanish, French, and German)

Students who have completed any of the following options are able to waive the Foreign Language Competency or FLENT/FLEX requirement:

For high school and transfer students: Completion of 2 years of the same foreign language in high school prior to admission into FIU

For high school and transfer students: Completion of appropriate foreign language accelerated credit mechanisms (e.g., AP, A-Level, IB, CLEP) in high school

For transfer students: Completion of 2 consecutive semesters of one language (levels 1 and 2) at a post-secondary institution

For transfer students: Completion of 1 intermediate or advanced level language course at a post-secondary institution

For international students: Completion of TOEFL with a passing score for admission into FIU

For international students: Completion of foreign credentials (for example, a high school transcript from a non-English speaking country)

For transfer students: Completion of a previously earned bachelor’s degree.

For the most updated information on the FLENT/FLEX requirement, please go here.

State Requirement – Summer Enrollment

The Summer Enrollment requirement requires all students to complete at least 9 credit hours during one or more summer semester terms at a university in the Florida State University System (not necessarily at FIU) prior to graduation.

Students who have completed any of the following options are able to waive the Summer Enrollment requirement:

For high school and transfer students: Completion of 9 or more credit hours from one or more accelerated credit mechanisms (AP, A-Level, IB, Dual Enrollment, CLEP). Please note, a student who has earned less than 9 credits through an accelerated credit mechanism, must still fulfill the Summer Enrollment requirement by earning all 9 credits through summer coursework (no partial exemptions are allowed).